Perez Hilton's family give fresh health update on blogger saying he 'can communicate' following incident
Warning: This article contains discussion of self-harm which some readers may find distressing.
Perez Hilton's family have issued a statement after the celebrity blogger was hospitalised after appearing to livestream self-harm on TikTok.
The 48-year-old, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr, was taken to hospital earlier this week on Tuesday (4 August) after emergency services responded to reports that he had appeared to harm himself during a livestream from his home in Miami.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, deputies were called to the property after receiving reports of a man 'livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media'.
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Officers spoke with family members outside the home, who confirmed the individual was alone inside. Deputies then 'tactically disengaged' while continuing to monitor the situation as part of a de-escalation strategy commonly used during mental health crises.
The sheriff's office later confirmed the individual had been 'safely recovered' before being taken by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to a local hospital for medical treatment.
Following the incident, Hilton's TikTok account was suspended. According to TikTok, the livestream was flagged by its automated moderation systems within minutes before being reviewed by moderators.
The company said it proactively contacted law enforcement to help ensure the individual received support, adding that content of this nature breaches its Community Guidelines.
Hilton's family has since broken their silence with a statement thanking people for their support.
"Many of you have reached out with concern for Perez, and we are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers," the statement on Hilton's official website read.
"We can confirm that Perez is receiving medical care, and our family's focus right now is on his well-being.
"We kindly ask that you respect Perez's privacy, as well as the privacy of his family, during this difficult time.
"If and when we are able to share any updates, we will do so with everyone as soon as we can. Thank you for your compassion, understanding, and continued support."
A follow-up statement shared yesterday (5 August) reads: "Our family wants to once again thank everyone who has reached out with prayers, kind messages, and support for Perez. Your compassionate humanity during this profoundly heartbreaking time has meant more than words can express.
"This has been incredibly difficult and emotional for us, made even harder because very little information has been made available to our family. While we continue to wait for further updates, we remain hopeful.
"We have also been able to confirm that Perez is able to communicate, which has given our family hope.
"We respectfully ask for your continued prayers, understanding, and grace as Perez continues to recover. We will share additional updates as we receive confirmed information and are able to do so. For now, we’re taking things one step at a time and keeping our focus where it belongs, on Perez and his recovery.
"Again, thank you, truly, for all your support and compassion. We are so grateful."
The update comes after Hilton's managers, Dante Rusciolelli and Rebekah Kochan, also addressed the situation in a joint statement.
They said they were aware of the 'concerning content circulating online' involving their client and explained they had been unable to make direct contact with him despite ongoing efforts.
"Our primary concern is Perez's health and well-being, as well as the well-being of his family," they told TMZ. "Until we have confirmed information, we will not speculate or comment further. We appreciate everyone's concern and ask that his privacy be respected during this time."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.
Topics: Celebrity, US News, Social Media
Rhiannon Ingle